Brake



May 7, 1940.

F. G. HUGHES BRAKE Filed Feb. 11, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l,

May 7, 1940. F. G. HUGHES 2,199.997"

BRAKE Filed Feb. 11, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 56 mvg/vree: 58 59 A el 55 REDER/CK G. HUGHES, f '/yf 7 Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFICE BRAKE Frederick G. Hughes, Bristol, Conn., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware u Application February 11, 1938, Serial No. 11895979v 13 Claims. (Cl. 18S- 26) My invention relates to braking mechanisms, discs can, when desired, be laterally urged into and is particularly applicable to front wheels of braking engagement by the bicycle riders manbicycles and the like for supplementing the brakual rotation of the brake actuator I6 by means of ing action now commonly applied to the proa hand lever I8, and which thereby forces a corpelling or driving wheel', as, for example, when respondingly cammed but non-rotatable brake 5 a slight braking is desired during coasting, or applicator I4 against the brake discs, the spring when a braking action additional to that applied I5 returning the parts to brake-releasing posiat the driving wheel is required for a quick, tions when the operator releases his grasp on the emergency stop in heavy tramo. hand lever.

10 One object is to prov-ide a housed braking More specically, in the embodiment shown in '10 mechanism for front wheels, so vthat there are no Figures 1 to 7, an axle I3 having an intermediate exposed parts that can so deteriorate from enlarged body portion 26 provided with longiweather, dirt, and the like, as to cause faulty tudinally extending splines 29, is provided near operation that can interfere with steering during its ends with cones 2i and 28, while a tubular brake application. r camming cone or brake actuator I6 is rotatably 15 Further objects are to provide for easy manual supported on the cone 28 by the ball bearing 21, control, gradual and positively controlled decelthat brake actuator and the cone 2i rotatably' leration, unit-handling, and readily assembling supporting the wheel hub I0 with its spoke into wheels and frames of standard manufacture. flanges I9, upon the ball bearings 20. Preferably To these ends, and also to improve generally lock'nuts 23 and 34, respectively threaded on the 20 upon devices of the character indicated, the inreduced axle ends 22 and 33, secure the intervention consists in the various matters hereinmediate parts in adjusted position upon the axle after described and claimed. which may be secured in a standard front bicycle In thgaccompanying drawings, fork F in the usual way by means of the cus- 25 Figure 1 is a longitudinal diametricai view, tomary washers 24 and 35 and the customary 25 chiefly in section, through my brake mechanism, nuts 25 and 26 upon the threaded axle ends. showing the brake parts in released positions; 'I'he cone 2| is adjustably threaded upon the axle Figure 1a is a diagrammatic showing of a end 22 and preferably carries a stamped metal bicycle having my braking mechanism associated dustl guard 38. y

with the front wheel; The cone 28 has keyways 3l for slidably receiv- 30 Figure 2 is an end view of the device; ing the axle splines 29 and ris non-rotatably con- Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section taken nected to an anchoring-arm 48, as by having a substantially along the line 3-3 of Figures I non-cylindrical end portion, such as a hexagonal and 5, looking in the direction of the arrows; end, socketed in a similar non-cylindrical open- Figure 4 is a view taken substantially on the ing in the anchoring-arm, which latter is secured 35 line 4-4 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction by a strap 39 to one of the arms of fork F, thus of the arrows; holding the axle I3 -from rotation. If desired,

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view genthe cone 28 can be brazed to the anchoring-arm erally similar to the left end of Figure 1, but 38, and an abutment washer 32 is brazed to this showing the parts in brakeoperating positions; cone in an outwardly-opening counterbore for 4 Figurel 6 illustrates the manual control mechabutting engagement against the adjacent end of aniSm fOr Operating the brake; the enlarged body portion 26 of the axle, so that Figure ,l 7 is an enlarged cross section taken inward movement of the cone 28 is prevented, the substantially along the line 1-1 of Figure 6, lock nut 34 securing the cone 28 against outward and looking in the direction of the arrows; and movement. 45

Figure8showsamodifled brake structure. An operating arm l1 is brazed to the outer Generally stated, in the illustrated embodiend of the brake actuator I6 provided at its inner ments of my invention, cooperating clutch memend with an annular cam face 42 engaging a simibers. such as the brake discs l'l and l2, are slidlar cam face 43 on the outer end of the brake ,-,0 ably but non-rotatably and respectively mounted applicator I4 which is slidably keyed to the splines 50 upon the hub I0 and the axle shaft I3 of the-pro- 29 in generally the same manner as is the cone pelled or front wheel 8 of a bicycle having a pro- 28. The coiled spring I6, which is housed withpelling wheel 9, and although normally free from in. a counterbore 45 in the applicator I4, is comlateral frictional clutching or braking engagepressed between a shoulder 46 at the end of the ment, so that the hub is freely rotatable, these counterbore and a guide collar 41, brazed to the 55 them into mating relation whenever the manual control of arm I1 is released. I

My braking mechanism includes a plurality of the adjacent rotatable and non-rotatable brake discs II and I2 alternately keyed for individually axially slidable movements in the hub keyways applicator I4 is shifted away from the brake discs by the spring I5 to the inoperative position of Figure 1, the discs move laterally and individually out of frictional braking engagement, and the hub I0 is free to rotate. When the rider pulls the hand lever I8 to the position I8a to shift the actuator arm vI1 to the position I1a, the brake applicator I4 is cammed into brake disc engagement and these discs I I and I2 are tightly clamped together into frictional braking engagement between the applicator I4 and a shoulder 53 on' the cone 2I,thus causing a smooth easily regulated braking operation under direct control of the extent of movement of the hand lever I8.

To avoid concentration of torsional stresses which would tend to cause breakage of the mechanism if the brake were applied suddenly under excessive pressure, the series of braking discs II and I2 are preferably located near that end of the hub IIJ that is as far away as practicable from that portionfof the axle which is held substantially immovable by the fixed cone 28. This construction takes advantage of the slightly resilient characteristic of the axle against twisting and provides for an absorption of torsional stresses throughout a considerable axle length. h

'I'he hand lever I8, which is formed from sheet metal bent t`o provide a suitable hand grip and having a substantially U-shaped cross section,is

pivotally supported by a .pin E6 extending through the side walls of a sheet metal bracket '51 clamped to the handle bar in such a position that the rider may easily extend his fingers from beneath the handle bar and move the hand lever to the braking position I8a without removing his hand from a guiding position on the handle bar. The pin 56 is peripherally grooved near its ends and held in position by snap rings 59. A struckup portion 60, on the bracket front wall 58, is located in the path of movement of an arcuate sector portion 6I of the lever and preferably beneath and concentricrwith the pin 56, to locate the inoperative position of the lever I8, as shown in full lines in Figure 6, and the under side of this sector is grooved at 62 to receive and guide the upper end of a flexible control cable 63 protected through the greater part of its length by a exible covered conduit 1I. The rearward end of the arcuate sector 6I, forms a stepped portion with the hand grip portion of the lever I 8 to pro-v 'vide a shoulder 64, and the cable end, which passes through a hole in this shoulder has a lug 65 soldered thereon and engaging the shoulder, so that a braking movement of the lever I8 will pull the cable through the conduit. l.

The lower end of the cable 63 has soldered thereon a lug 66 socketed in a yoke member 61- pivoted to the outer extended end of arm I1. To facilitate demountably securing the lug 66 in position, a head 68 on the lower end of the lug is arranged to be inserted through the enlarged end the shaft and said member, a sleeve member ax- 1I) of a slot 69 through one of the side walls of the yoke and extending into and' through the end yoke wall. After the head 68 has been inserted through the opening 10, the body portion of the lug may be easily slid through the narrow portion 5 of the slot 88, so that the head is located beneath the end wall as shown. The conduit, which may bel secured to the bicycle frame at convenient positions by clips 13, has ferrules 'I4 at its ends respectivelyA `received through the' bracket wall l0 68 and in the upper end oi an adjustment sleeve 15 that is slabbed off on one side and slidable and 52 and on the axle splines 29. When the brake e] ating movement for the hand lever I8 and also to e provide a suitable take-up on the controls to compensate for brake wear.

Inthe modification of Figure 8, all parts except the brake. discs areas previously described, but i these discs are assembled with a rotatable driven disc II engageable with the brake applicator I4.`

l. In a device of the character indicated, an axle, a, hub rotatable about the axle, brake members respectively interlocked with the axle and with the hub for relative movements 'into and out of braking engagement with each other, an anchoring arm interlocked with a portion of'the axle and holding the axle from rotation remote from the brake members and brake operating means between the anchoring 'arm and said brake members, whereby the torsional stresses of braking will ,be distributed qand absorbed in the axle; substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character indicated, a rotatable member, an axle therefor, a brake mechanism therefor, an applicator for oarating said f mechanism, and yieldable means surrounding the axle and housed within the applicator for urging the applicator out of operative position; substantially as described. 'e

3. In a device of the character indicated, a shaft and a surrounding member having relative rotation, a brake mechanism engageable with ially movablegto Aoperate the brake mechanism, and a spring housed in said sleeve for shifting the sleeve out of brake operating position; substantially as described. 5

4. In a device of the character indicated, a shaft and a surrounding member having relative rotation, a brake mechanism between the shaft and said member, a sleeve movable to operate the brake mechanism, an abutment on the shaft, and a spring housed in the sleeve and engageable with the abutment and said sleeve to shift the sleeve out of brake operating position; substantially as described. n

5. In a device of the character indicated, a rotatable hub, an axle therefor, a brake mechl anism between the hub andthe axle, a brake@ applicator movably supportedl on the vaxle for operating said mechanism, and spring means on the axle andhoused by the applicator forshift- 70 ing said applicator out of brake operating position; substantially as described.

for the hub, a non-rotatable brake applicator slidable on the axle for controlling the brake mechanism, an actuator rotatable on the'axle, the applicator and actuator having similar abutting cam faces, and a spring housed in the applicator for urging the cam faces into interfitting relation to locate the applicator and the actuator in nonbraking positions; substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character indicated, a rotatable hub, a non-rotatable axle therefor, an applicator member slidably and lion-rotatably mounted on the axle for operating the brake mechanism, and actuator member rotatable on the axle, said members having abutting cam faces which matingly engage when the brake is released, an abutment on the axle, and a spring on the axle and housed in the applicator and compressed between the abutment and the applicator for urging the cam faces into mating engagement; substantially as described.

8. In a device of the character indicated, a brake mechanism, an anchoring member therefor, a brake operating arm journalled on said member, a control lever, a flexible cable operatively connecting the lever and said arm, and a guide receiving the cable and adjustably secured to the anchor member for regulating the effective cable length; substantially as described.

9. In a device' of the character indicated, a brake mechanism, an anchoring member therefor, a brake operating arm rotatably supported on said member, a control lever,a.ilexible cable operatively connecting said lever to said arm, a guiding sleeve for the cable adjustably mounted on the anchoring member to regulate the eifective cable length, and means to secure the sleeve in adiusted position; substantially as described.

10. In a device of the character indicated, a rotatable hub, a non-rotatable axle therein, a brake mechanism between said hub and axle and movable into and out of a braking position, a brake operating element movable on the axle to and from a braking position, an applicator mounted on the axle and movable in response to said element for shifting the brake to a braking position, and means enclosed within the applicator for normally shifting said applicator and said element to non-braking position; substantially as described.

11. In a device of the character indicated, a rotatable hub, a non-rotatable axle extending therethrough, braking members respectively keyed to the hub and to said axle and relatively slidable into and out of a braking position, a manually controlled brake operating element rotatably supported on the axle for movement to and from a braking position, an applicator slidably keyed to the axle and responsive to said operating element for shifting the braking members to braking position, and yieldable means enclosed within the applicator which shifts the brake operating element and the applicator to non-braking position whenever the manual control of said element is released; substantially as described.

12. In a device of the character indicated, a rotatable hub, a non-rotatable axle having a splined portion within said hub, braking discs respectively keyed to the hub and to said splined portion for relative slldable movement into and out of braking engagement, a brake operating element rotatably journalled on the axle for movement into and out of a braking position, an

applicator sleeve slidably keyed on said splined portion and responsive to said element for shifting the discs to said braking position, and resilient means between the axle and said sleeve which urges the sleeve and said element to nonbraking positions; substantially as described.

13. In a device of the character indicated, a 'rotatable hub, an axle extending therethrough, an anchoring arm non-rotatably socketed on the axle at one end of the hub to prevent axle rotation, and brake discs respectively carried by and slidably interlocked with the axle and the hub at the other end of said hub for movement into and out of braking engagement, whereby the torsional stresses of braking will be yieldably absorbed throughout the major length of the'axle and the dangers of axle breakage will be min-y imized; substantially as described.

FRmERICK G. HUGHB. 

